West Ham’s season ticket renewal can be compared to an interest-free loan to the club to provide vital cash flow during a financial crisis in football caused by the pandemic.
This time of year Premier League football clubs budget to have their bank account full of season ticket holder’s cash.
West Ham usually banks around £23.5m of season ticket holder’s money over the summer.
The Hammers have already been forced to refund £10m in tickets and corporate hospitality from last season and the forecast for this season is also grim.
The club have asked for 100% of the season ticket money before a deadline of 28th August with games refunded back to supporters banks or debit cards 30 days after a game is played behind closed doors or an unsuccessful ballot.
Next season start on 12th September but the government says supporters will not be able to return until October at the earliest and even then may be reduced to 40% of the stadium capacity.
The club has budgeted to lose up to 75% of this season’s ticket revenue in a worst-case scenario and that would mean up to 75% of the upfront season ticket money being refunded game by game.
The club yesterday added an option 3 allowing supporters nervous of returning to pay just 30% upfront but they will be excluded from the automatic ballot and will be expected to pay the balance if stadium capacity hits 70%
West Ham are not alone with this strategy with Southampton also asking for money upfront while refunding season ticket holders game by game. Other clubs are likely to follow with the model which will most likely become the new normal in the Premier League.
Don’t we give the club an interest free loan every year when we buy a season ticket?
Another thing to consider is ST pricing. As they have been frozen season our cheapest one year adult ST will be £320. At Brentford in their new stadium ST in Championship will start at £419 if promoted the will go up by 25%. Therefore if they are in Premier League our cheapest ST will be over £200 less at London Stadium.
One last thing I’m a member at Essex CCC I paid £153 for 2020 season no refund.
I’m astounded that the Club really think it makes sense to ask fans for an interest free loan! Gold and Sullivan take 3% or 4% on their loans, so how about the Club offer the same interest rate to fans! Or waive the interest on those shareholder loans???
This is the end for me, yes Coronavirus has caused lots of problems for the Club but also for many fans too. For the billionaire and millionaire to be asking fans to fund the Club’s summer cash flow is beneath contempt! I’ll take my refund in cash and not spend another £ at the Club until Sullivan, Brady and Gold are gone!
Not sure I view it as a loan, I paid in full (minus refund from last season) each person should decide for themselves whats best for them, my view was that it helps the club during difficult times and based my decision on that. Understand that others have different views and thats upto them to make their best decisions accordingly.
Well said .. That’s the way I see it, too ..
The word “Club” has been used a lot in the other comments. Is it a Club or is it a shareholder-owned asset?
Whether we like it this and other clubs are all the latter – we are no longer talking sport and haven’t been for a long long time